Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by RedDiamond:

This is a good stock-in-trade IPA. Nothing standout, but a tasteful and drinkable standard nonetheless. It is lightly clouded (like the great northwest itself) and sports a thin head with a short memory reminiscent of the editorial board of the Oregonian. The body is neither robust nor ischemic. (Kind of like me these days.) A sensibly inspired hop profile brings clarity and purpose to this ISA which concludes with a crisp, bitter finish. 60 IBUs.

It took me a couple passes over the menu to to realize that this was Alameda's IPA, and I was still suspicious when I ordered it, even after seeing the substantial IBUs. However, the aroma and taste cured any doubts.

The pint was a dull, hazy yellow, almost no head on it. There was enough carbonation, it just wasn't manifesting on top. The aroma was assertively grassy, but not offensive in the slightest. It was an accurate advertisement of the taste, as well.

The taste improved as I drank, partly because it was somewhat cold when it arrived. It had a clean pale malt body that was an excellent compliment to the crisp hoppiness and weekend-starting bitterness.

I can't attest to how well it complimented dinner because I wanted a darker drink with my shellfish. It was a great standard though, and proves the abilities of the brewer in my mind.

I've been in the Alameda quite a few times in the last few months and have been waiting for the chance to try this nice IPA on cask. Even though the beer board said the Porter was the cask beer of the day after trying the ISA on nitro I decided to try the cask offering. I was quite surprised to find a light golden colored pint with a wonderful creamy head dropped in front of me...not the Porter, that's for sure!

The first thing I noticed was a nice purfume aroma that wasn't noticable with the nitro pint that I just finished. The slightly hazy look of this beer didn't put me off as most of the beers here seem to have the same look.(unfiltered?) The hops weren't overpowering but were certainly the main focus.

This is just a very drinkable IPA without any massive hop overkill that often turns me off to some popular examples off this style. Not too much flowery, citrus, make a bitter beer face look about it at all. Just a very nice pint. mmmm.